Collaborative Research: Next Generation Science Standards and Designing School System Educational Infrastructure to support Elementary School Science Instruction

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To generate foundational knowledge, this project will examine the development of school-level and system-level STEM learning environments that support the implementation of the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) through high-quality science instruction at the classroom level. This study is significant since the NGSS depend on local discretion in operationalizing foundational ideals in classroom instruction, yet few systems and schools are organized to support teachers in doing so. As such, this project will address the need for additional knowledge and experiences for teachers to effectively implement the NGSS. In addition, it will develop and test a practical theory of organization and management detailing key domains of work that are essential to bridging academic standards to classroom instruction. It will construct models of effective, system-level and school-level science learning environments to enact this theoretical framework. The project serves the national interest by characterizing what makes school systems and schools effective in supporting fundamental change in teaching and learning such as NGSS, which will allow others to build on these insights, thus supporting the development of more effective school experiences with STEM for all students. The ECR program emphasizes fundamental STEM education research that generates foundational knowledge in the field. Investments are made in critical areas that are essential, broad and enduring: STEM learning and STEM learning environments, broadening participation in STEM, and STEM workforce development. Using a descriptive, theory-building longitudinal research approach, the project will investigate how systems and schools are responding to NGSS through a series of five studies. The program of research will target 12 school districts and 24 elementary schools in 3 states that are currently implementing NGSS. A comparative case study design across the five studies will feature cross-disciplinary collaboration among researchers with complementary expertise in studying systems, schools, and state level instructional improvement. This approach will advance knowledge of educational policy, system and school improvement, and instructional improvement by addressing a fundamental challenge of contemporary education reform: the coordination of national and state academic standards with teaching and learning in classrooms. Outcomes from this research will make contributions to broader social progress through support for schools and systems in ensuring excellence and equity in educational opportunities offered to students. These outcomes will also develop a practical theory of organization and management which, in turn, will increase the potential for directly guiding improvements in science learning, teaching, and outcomes at scale in larger numbers of schools. These supports will be beneficial to schools and systems that are experiencing standards as punitive policy instruments, rather than as resources for motivating and supporting instructional transformation. Massive open online courses, policy briefs, university and school-oriented publications, and major social media outlets will be used to disseminate results broadly to educators and education policymakers and other stakeholders.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.